Can anyone tell me what has happened to the “transfer selection to pattern” button in the group SOP? The docs still list it but it is gone as far as I can tell. I wish sidefx would stop changing features without bothering to change the docs! And why does this always happen on a Sunday?

This is long gone from Houdini now. The change happened in H5.0.

It is replaced with the new modelling workflow. You need to use the “Transfer Selection” red arrow in the viewport pane's left hand side, mid way down.

Press it, select your geometry, then tap the RMB and you now have set the selection for the Group SOP.

As for the docs, I see your point. :?

I will submit the bug

Hmm….doesn't work for me….
This “red button” calls “reselect geometry for current operation”, nothing common with “transfer selection”. And there's no any other red button on the left toolbar of viewport .
Anyway, when i RMB clicking on the “pattern” field in the group sop parameters, field becomes gray while i'm holding mouse button, and nothing happens then.
One time somehow i get these ranges, but i can't reproduce it.

It's the button with a yellow rectangle with a red arrow. Alternatively, you can press the backtick (`) key to the left of the digit 1 key.

Uhmm…..i'm sorry, but can you explain me this process, exactly how you do it with maximum details? I still can't get these ranges.
I see this red button, pressed it dozen times, but still have no success with getting ranges.

After you press the button, you have to select what you want in the viewport and then right-mouse click. See old school's post above.

Excuse me, but “then right-click” _where_???? In viewport, in ranges field, where? It doesn't work for me, i just tried it, and right-clicked all over my screen. Magic doesn't happens.

Right-click in the viewport. Another way to think of it is as soon as you're done selecting since your mouse is likely already in the viewport.

Well, i describe process myself:

1. empty scene
2. sphere sop -> group sop
3. moving mouse into viewport, pressing ‘s’(select mode), then ‘1’ - points.
4. press red button(as you described)
5. selecting few vertices
6. pressing RMB in viewport/group sop's ‘range’ field/everywhere alone/with ctrl/alt/shift. No luck. Any ideas?

Ah, I see your problem now. You're mixing up the two different ways of working in Houdini in the viewport. You can choose two workflow methods:
1. Choose the operation (aka tool) and then select your geometry, or
2. Choose the geometry first and then choose your operation (aka tool).

Let's assume that you first put down a sphere. Change it's type to polygon for the sake of this example. Throughout this whole process, make sure you watch the blue prompts in the status bar at the bottom when your mouse is in the viewport. Reading them help.

In workflow 1, you now go into the viewport and hit Tab, type Group <enter>, select geometry and right-click (in the viewport).

In workflow 2, you hit ‘s’ to select your geometry. Now hit Tab > Group <enter>.

In either case now, you can choose different geometry via the reselect button that we've been talking about thus far to choose different geometry.

Have you done through the video tutorials on modelling? They're here:
http://www.vislab.usyd.edu.au/sidefx/houdini_video/by_topic/modeling/index.html [vislab.usyd.edu.au]

Let me do a follow up as well. Let's say you saved your hip file and then start up Houdini the next day with it. By default you will be in the “View” tool. To go back into the current tool of your display sop, you move your mouse into the viewport and hit Enter. Now you can reselect again.

Yeah, got it. I've thought that i'm able to put current selection into a group node without pressing enter, ie with simply selection mode.
Hmm…..but anyway - is there some way to put current selection into a group sop, if i'm in it's editing mode? Just curious.

PS: Thanks, Edward. I'm new to Houdini, and some things are looks pretty strange for me.

Offhand, I don't think so. The ‘s’ key is only really just so that you can select before putting down a new operation. Personally, I think it's slower to use anyways.

Hi mudvin,

I believe the intro videos covers the different selection and modeling methods. Please go to the following link for the videos:

http://www.vislab.usyd.edu.au/sidefx/houdini_video/ [vislab.usyd.edu.au]

Definitely recommended for new users to Houdini.

Cheers!
steven

Heh, thanks for advice, i have all these movies - my friend downloaded all of them. Simply don't have much time to see these movies